UTEP overcomes 19-point deficit to silence Western Kentucky in overtime
Saturday afternoon had a storybook ending that movies are made about.
On a much-anticipated day that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the 1966 Texas Western NCAA Championship team, the Miners were able to climb out of a 19-point hole to stun a Western Kentucky squad in overtime, 93-89, that thought it had the game put away.
Earvin Morris gave UTEP a 30-point scorer (32 points) for the second consecutive game after the Miners hadn't had one in five years (Randy Culpepper), Lee Moore put up 23 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists, Terry Winn scored 12, and Dominic Artis added 11.
Western Kentucky led for almost the entirety of regulation (38 minutes 29 seconds) with shots refusing to fall for the Miners.
As UTEP saw the Hilltoppers' advantage continue to grow and stabilize in the double digits, footage from the actual movie made about the Miners played on the video board during a timeout, and the spirit of Texas Western energized UTEP faithful.
"Right now, it's not about talent: It's about heart," Don Haskins said in the Glory Road scene that prompted raucous cheers from the filled-up seats. "It's about who can go out there and play the hardest, who can go out there and play the smartest. ... They're not gonna give it to us: We gotta go out there, and we gotta take it! Take it! TAKE IT!"
With the Miners down 70-51, UTEP began an invigorated run.
Deploying a lineup of four and sometimes five guards, UTEP wore down Western Kentucky with speed and pressure from the full-court press.
Continuing to drop the Hilltoppers' lead down, the crowd became louder with every Miner point.
After the Miners got the 19-point deficit down to 14 with 5:54 to play, Lee Moore drained two consecutive 3-pointers to get within eight (72-64).
Then, after a WKU free throw, Omega Harris stepped up for another UTEP 3-ball that dropped the deficit to six with 4:04 remaining.
With the crowd on their feet -- and the Miners shutting down the Hilltoppers' offense -- ensuing UTEP possessions got the Miners within two after Lee Moore free throws and and an Earvin Morris layup.
Western Kentucky then got its advantage back up to six, but the energy of the Don Haskins Center was too invigorating to let the Miners retreat.
"These are the crowds that I remember from the '80s," coach Tim Floyd said. "This is what I remember, and it's the way it was: It's why I wanted to come back here. I'm so hopeful that that'll become an every-night occurrence. I'm very hopeful that the people that were here -- who certainly inspired us to this win -- will go out and tell their friends that there's a lot of fun going on in that arena."
After one Lee Moore bucket and a Terry Winn free throw -- with 26 seconds to play and UTEP down by three, a determined Lee Moore drove to the basket to make a layup fall and one.
Moore then sank the bonus to cap a stunning 26-7 UTEP run through the final 8:47 for the only tie of the game: 77-77.
In overtime, UTEP continued its swift momentum.
The Miners scored the first four points, got their lead up to a high of seven, and finished off the Hilltoppers with their suffocating full-court press.
"Nolan [Richardson] said, 'Let's go keep pressing. Let's go give 'em 40 Minutes of Hell,'" Tim Floyd said. "So that's the first time we really unleashed that. So he's all in now, which is great."
A fitting end to the celebration of a historic event.
UTEP will now travel to FIU for a second matchup with the Golden Panthers this season.